True Crime

The wife and children of alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann are back at the family home on Long Island ... the very house cops believe might have been the scene of the grisly murders.

TMZ obtained these images of the suspected killer's wife, Asa Ellerup, and his 32-year-old son, Christopher ... looking somber as they returned to their Massapequa, NY home for the first time since Rex was taken into custody in connection with some of the Gilgo Beach killings.

Heuermann's wife and son milled around the front porch and then sat down on a bench together and, not shockingly, appeared to get emotional.

Police previously searched the home -- roughly 15 miles from Gilgo Beach -- and even dug up the backyard in their quest for any evidence linking Heuermann to the killings.

Investigators are digging into a theory Heuermann might have murdered victims in the home while his family was out of town.

Heuermann has so far been charged with 3 murders ... though 11 sets of human remains have been found at Gilgo, including those of multiple sex workers, a man, and a toddler.

There have been a lot of chilling details surfacing since Heuermann was arrested ... like the former escort who claims she went on a date with him while the murders were happening, with Heurmann allegedly bringing up the case in an oddly enthusiastic manner.

OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney had security guards right outside her front door while she allegedly stabbed her boyfriend to death, but security did nothing about it ... so say the lawyers for the BF's estate.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, security at the luxury apartment building in Miami was notified about a fight going down inside the couple's unit on April 3, 2022 -- the same day Christian was killed.

Attorneys repping Christian Obumseli's estate say guards knocked on their front door and even heard yelling coming from inside, but they just stood outside for 12 minutes and didn't do anything to break it up ... despite what they say was a long history of past disturbances and complaints from neighbors.

The estate claims by the time Courtney opened the door, security saw her and her dogs covered in blood with Christian lying unconscious on the floor.

The estate insists the building and its security were well aware of Courtney and Christian's explosive relationship, saying the building got its first complaint about a domestic dispute between them back on move-in day in January -- months before the fatal incident -- and claim the building got flooded with complaints over time.

According to the docs, Courtney even notified the building's general manager in late March that she had been recently diagnosed with "a severe borderline personality disorder."

The estate lawyers are saying the building should have known at that point that she was "extremely volatile and aggressive," adding that if they'd intervened sooner, Obumseli could have survived.

Thomar Lattrel Simmons was interviewed Saturday by the New York Post and made his desperate plea on behalf of Russell.

Simmons said, "The only thing I can say is, I want everyone to stop bullying her. I know what it seems like what she did. Just stop bullying on social media."

He continued, "Think about her mental health. She doesn’t deserve that. She doesn’t. Nobody deserves to be cyberbullied."

As we reported, Russell has come under intense scrutiny after she claimed she was abducted on the side of a highway while trying to help a child.

She called 911 on June 13 and told the dispatcher she saw the toddler wandering along the interstate as she was driving home from work.

Russell promised to wait with the child until the police arrived, but, when the cops got there, Carlee was nowhere to be found and neither was the kid.

Two days later, Russell returned home without so much as a scratch. Since then, police have investigated the incident and publicly stated they have not been able to verify Carlee's suspicious account.

Investigators in the Gilgo Beach murders case are digging into a grisly theory -- the suspected serial killer might have murdered his victims in his family's home.

Rex Heuermann lives in Massapequa Park, NY, roughly 15 miles away from Gilgo Beach, and since the spring, detectives have been looking into whether any of the victims were killed there ... according to a source who spoke to CNN.

According to the report, the source claimed the disappearances went down during times when Heuermann's family was out of town, leading investigators to theorize he potentially lured victims to the home.

Investigators think Heuermann would've had a big advantage using his own home, where he'd more easily be able to access materials like burlap bags ... and as you know, the 4 bodies found over a decade ago were wrapped in burlap.

As we reported, Heuermann was taken into custody last week in connection with some of the killings -- a total of 11 sets of human remains have been found at Gilgo, which included multiple sex workers, a man, and a toddler.

Cops are clarifying some things after Carlee Russell was recovered following a 48-hour period of her having gone missing ... and it sounds like they, too, have more questions.

Hoover PD issued a new statement with a handful of details they say they can elaborate on as the investigation continues -- the most important of which, it seems, is the fact that even now ... they say they haven't gotten any further reports about a wandering child.

Remember, this was at the crux of the case from the beginning -- Carlee called 911 on the night she disappeared ... telling dispatchers she saw a toddler walking by itself along a local highway at night, and reiterated that to family members as well before pulling over.

After that, she vanished ... only to turn up 3 days later, with not very many answers as to what happened to her -- other than her loved ones claiming she was kidnapped, that is.

There's more info HPD is relaying in their new remarks ... including the fact that they say there's residential surveillance footage that apparently shows Carlee walking down the sidewalk in her neighborhood alone -- this before she showed up to her parents' front door.

The police are also clarifying reports -- citing dispatch chatter that went over the airwaves -- of Carlee having been transported to a hospital in an unconscious state. They say that's not true ... all that happened is that somebody called 911 reporting she was unresponsive -- but they say she was, in fact, awake and speaking when paramedics actually arrived.

One last important detail ... HPD says it's waiting for Carlee to be made available for a follow-up interview, claiming they've only been able to obtain a preliminary statement from her.

On its face, it sounds like they're somewhat suspicious themselves about this whole thing -- which echoes the growing public sentiment at this point ... people are raising an eyebrow.

Thus far, her family members have stuck to the same story ... namely, that she escaped her abductors, and that she fought for her life. They've also scoffed at the notion that anybody would question what happened to her ... and yet, folks still have their doubts regardless.

There's apparently some new life in the investigation into who killed legendary rapper Tupac Shakur ... as Las Vegas cops descended on a home in connection to the murder.

Detectives from the Las Vegas Metro PD served a search warrant Tuesday at a home in Henderson, Nevada ... about 20 miles away from the LV city limits. Cops were brief in the details surrounding the search, only adding it was, "part of the ongoing Tupac Shakur homicide investigation."

Law enforcement sources confirm to us the home was in the area of Interstate 11 and Wagon Wheel Drive but, as of now, no arrests have been made.

Pac died on September 13, 1996, after being shot multiple times just off the Las Vegas Strip.

The "All Eyez On Me" rapper's afterlife spawned one of the biggest-selling music careers, not to mention one of the biggest fandoms ... but his family just wants closure.

Alex Murdaugh's two life sentences in prison are going by in a flash, and by that ... we mean the flash of a camera, 'cause the guy's apparently taking pictures of himself in the clink.

The convicted murderer -- who was found guilty of killing of his wife and son earlier this year -- has had selfies he's taken from inside his prison cell leaked to the public ... and they're quite something to look at, especially since a handful of them feature AM shirtless.

It appears he's using a smart tablet, which inmates in protective custody -- something he's been relegated to in a South Carolina maximum security facility -- get to use for leisure.

According to the YouTube account Phone Calls from Prison, which obtained these photos, Murdaugh appears to have snapped a number of selfies anytime he logged on to use the tablet ... and they run the gamut of cringe. There's a handful of ones where he's without a top -- and his bare chest is exposed -- and others where he's lying down making weird faces.

The pics are somewhat insightful into his current state of affairs ... his cell looks tiny, but it also seems he's made it his permanent home -- with homemade knickknacks hanging about.

Gotta say ... as far as prison goes, the guy appears to be quite cozy in his situation.

New video taken the night that Russell disappeared in Alabama appears to show the moment she pulled over on a highway to help a child ... this before mysteriously vanishing.

According to AL.com, the surveillance footage -- which was just published Saturday -- was recorded by an online company that captures and archives live traffic footage ... and it looks like they caught the exact moment that the 25-year-old came to a stop on the shoulder of I-459 in Hoover, Alabama Thursday night ... when she was first reported missing by her family.

It's a disturbing story ... cops say Russell called 911 that night to report seeing a lone child walking along the interstate, and she came to a screeching halt herself to get out and help.

Russell is said to have also been on the phone with her brother's GF, who says she heard Carlee calling out to the child ... asking if they were okay. Then, she claims to have heard Carlee scream before the phone dropped, with only the sound of traffic being heard after.

When police arrived to the scene ... they found her car and belongings -- including her phone, but Russell was nowhere to be found. Ditto for the kid she reported seeing.

Now, in the wake of this new footage -- which police say they have and are examining -- people are picking it apart ... and some even claim to see something that could give a clue as to what happened. In many people's eyes ... this looks to be an abduction via luring.

The reason people believe that -- aside from the eerie details of the case -- has to do with a bright yellow light that can be seen in this footage ... which darts south in the video at a rapid speed, but then goes dark. Unclear what the light may be -- but it seems suspicious.

Her family has been sounding the alarm since, asking the public to help bring her back ... and there's even been a huge reward offered for her return, now increased to $50,000.

Cops released a new photo of Carlee -- seen above, where she's got short hair -- and say this is a more accurate depiction/what she may have looked like the night she went missing.

Unabomber Ted Kaczynski was more than a domestic terrorist mailing package bombs around America -- he was also a staunch proponent of the First Amendment to the Constitution, at least according to the madman himself.

TMZ has obtained a never-before-seen letter he wrote while sitting in federal prison, furious the US government had seized his infamous trove of personal items from his cabin and planned to auction them off to pay restitution to his victims.

In the letter, dated April 3, 2009, the terrorist railed against the system he claimed had wronged him in his multi-year legal battle with the feds over his possessions.

He complained the government had confiscated "every copy of everything I've ever written," and, worse, the court of appeals had already greenlit the auction ... prompting him to reluctantly admit, "I've lost."

But Kaczynski also warned his case should be of "grave concern" to all Americans because it showed the federal courts totally ignored the First Amendment ... in other words, "freedom of expression," as he put it in his letter.

He went on to say something about the court's decision being politically motivated ... but didn't further explain that theory.

The convicted terrorist wrote and sent the letter to a journalist with whom he was contemplating doing an interview -- about his belongings and the First Amendment -- but he ultimately decided against discussing it any further.

Two years later, the auction took place and, when it was all over, Kaczynski's personal property sold for $190,000, which went to his victims and their family members. Among the items sold were his personal journals, his handwritten "manifesto" and his hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses, as seen in his iconic police sketch.

As you know ... Kaczynski died by suicide inside his prison cell at FMC Butner in North Carolina last Saturday. TMZ broke the story ... 911 audio revealed first responders were unable to resuscitate him after he hanged himself.

Before his death, Kaczynski was serving 4 life sentences after pleading guilty in 1998 to killing 3 people and maiming 28 others during his nearly 20-year mail bomb campaign.

Adam DeVine has a horrifying story to tell about a poker party turning tragic in the Hollywood Hills -- a man was shot and killed, with Adam and his wife just across the street.

The "Pitch Perfect" star shared his experience during a live taping of the "This Is Important" podcast Wednesday night with his "Workaholics" costars Blake Anderson, Anders Holm, and Kyle Newacheck -- and it might not have been the best setting for such a serious tale.

Adam says he was chillin' on a balcony at home with his wife Chloe Bridges when the murder happened just across the way from him, leaving him in shock.

Adam says he called it, too -- believing some "dastardly s***" was happening at the boujee poker party. Of course, the podcast hosts and crowd still found the ordeal a little funny, with Blake punching up the story with sound effects. Actually, it seems like the crowd thought Adam was doing a bit.

He didn't get into specifics about the crime, but KTLA reported 39-year-old Emil Lahaziel was gunned down just after 2 AM Wednesday morning at a Hollywood Hills poker party.

It's unclear if Adam actually witnessed the shooting ... if he did, he left that part out.

The former "Family Feud" contestant, who joked he regretted getting married on the show, has been found guilty of murdering his then-estranged wife -- after her sister testified the victim previously said she was worried her husband would harm her.

Timothy Bliefnick was convicted Wednesday of first-degree murder and home invasion following a nearly week-long trial in Illinois.

You'll recall, Becky Bliefnick was found dead inside her home back in February -- and her estranged husband was charged with breaking into her home and shooting her multiple times. The former couple was living apart at the time, and in the process of divorcing.

Perhaps the most sinister testimony came when Becky's sister took the stand, and said Becky worried [Timothy] might harm her, as they fought over custody of their 3 kids.

The sister said Becky texted her in 2021, saying ... "If something ever happens to me, make sure the No. 1 person of interest is Tim."

As we previously reported, Bliefnick had joked back in 2019 -- while on "Family Feud" -- that the biggest mistake he made at his wedding was saying "I do."

A mysterious adoption more than a decade ago is getting the spotlight thanks to an upcoming docuseries ... about a Ukrainian girl who allegedly tried blending in as a small child and attempted to murder her new family.

Attorney Beth Karas joined us on "TMZ Live," giving us the scoop ahead of the first episode of ID's "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" ... which follows an American fam that adopted Natalia back in 2010, only to discover she was MUCH older. A few years in the parents believed she wasn't 8 years old ... they were sure she was around 22.

Beth says Natalia repeatedly threatened her new family with knives and even tried poisoning them.

Natalia's child persona had folks split on whether she was a kiddo or fully grown -- she would interact with young children as if she were a peer but also displayed an adult side.

Her tale has often been compared to the horror flick "Orphan" ... which came out the year before Natalia's adoption and is based on a horrifyingly-similar story.

Murder's just the tip of the iceberg with Alex Murdaugh ... the feds say he plotted with bank CEOs and other attorneys to plunder millions from clients, and the estate of the housekeeper who died mysteriously in his home.

The feds just dropped a 22-count indictment on the convicted murderer, and according to the docs ... Murdaugh had quite the operation going behind the scenes of his family's personal injury law firm.

Perhaps the most disturbing charge involves Gloria Satterfield, the Murdaughs' longtime housekeeper, who died in 2018 after an alleged slip and fall -- caused by the Murdaughs' dogs -- in the family's home.

According to the indictment, Murdaugh recommended Gloria's family hire another attorney ... who was one of Murdaugh's close friends.

That lawyer negotiated settlements for Gloria's death from 2 insurance companies -- Lloyds of London and Nautilus Insurance Group -- totaling about $4.3 million. However, the feds say the lion's share of that settlement got funneled into an account Murdaugh set up to look like a legit consulting firm ... but it absolutely was not.

Gloria's family members spoke out in the Netflix documentary, "Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal," and said they never saw a dime of the insurance payouts. This indictment backs that up, and provides an answer for where the money went ... allegedly.

The Satterfields are just one of several of Murdaugh's financial victims, according to the indictment, which details other alleged incidents of pilfering his clients' funds.

He's accused of money laundering, wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.

Bryan Kohberger has officially pled not guilty in his quadruple murder case in which he’s accused of killing 4 University of Idaho students last year ... a plea that was entered by default as he chose to "stand silent" to the murder charges.

Kohberger was in court Monday morning in an Idaho courtroom where he was arraigned on 4 counts of first-degree murder.

Kohberger answered "yes" to the judge as he read statements about rights and identity, but when it came time to officially enter a plea, Kohberger's attorney said they'd "stand silent" -- so the judge entered a default "not guilty" plea.

Last week, a grand jury indicted Kohberger for the murders as well as 1 count of burglary. If convicted, he could face the death penalty ... although, prosecutors have not announced whether they will be seeking it.

After his arrest, the judge ordered Kohberger held without bail ahead of his trial.

As we've reported, Kohberger's being accused of sneaking into the off-campus home of the University of Idaho students ... and killing Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle.

A search for the killer went on for weeks before Kohberger was eventually arrested in December at his parents' home near Scranton, PA. Police had asked the public to be on the lookout for a white Hyundai Elantra that belonged to him.

Investigators later revealed they were hot on Kohberger's tail for several weeks, saying they had a description of him from one of the surviving victims -- not to mention cell phone records that showed him on the move the night of the killings.

They also say they found some of his DNA on a leather sheath found at the crime scene.

According to a search warrant, Kohberger had knives, a gun, masks, and gloves in his family's Pennsylvania home when the FBI searched the place. Authorities also say they found another knife and a shovel in his car.

Zak Bagans and Holly Madison are officially back together ... rekindling their romance nearly two years after they broke up.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Zak and Holly are an item again and, actually, had never really fallen out of touch. You'll recall, it was an amicable split back in 2021 -- and our sources say that proved to be true because they've been communicating on and off ever since.

Holly and Zak had known each other for years, but their romance didn't start until after her May 2019 visit to Zak's Haunted Museum in Las Vegas.

We're told Holly travels back and forth between L.A. and Vegas because of her kids, and Zak travels a ton for the filming of his show ... but they still find time to see each other almost every week.

The couple have kept their relationship mostly out of the public eye and have rarely been photographed together. Last month Holly wished Zak a happy birthday on IG with a photo of a clown birthday cake.

We broke the story when the "Ghost Adventures" star and former Playboy model ended their relationship after 2 years of dating.

Both of them have a lot to celebrate these days -- Discovery Channel renewed Holly's show "The Playboy Murders" for a second season and Zak's "Ghost Adventures" series was recently picked up by the network.

A twisted scene at an Arby's restaurant in Louisiana, as a body, believed to be that of an employee, was discovered inside the freezer.

According to KADN News 15, it was around 6:30 Thursday night when an employee walked inside the restaurant's freezer and discovered the lifeless body of a female. At this point, it's not known how long the woman was in the freezer, however, investigators believe it was an accident.

New Iberia Police Capt. Leland Laseter said, "A situation like this is unusual, so we're taking extra precautions during the investigation. (We) pretty much have completed our process at the crime scene. After completely processing the crime scene ... this does not seem like a homicide, it seems like an accident."

Police say an autopsy will be conducted on the employee to determine the cause of death and confirm her identity.